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The UK Jewish community has stepped up to help Israelis stranded in the UK following the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war.
Between 100,000 and 150,000 Israelis were believed to be stuck abroad when the war started, and while Israel is now operating two
repatriation flights per hour during daylight, a number of Israelis are still unable to get home.
Children and families charity Norwood has been offering support for Israelis by providing free crèche services in their north London hub and a quiet workspace for parents every weekday morning.
One parent said: “We are staying in a small apartment and my daughter has been going stir-crazy with no kids her age to play with. The warm and welcoming space that was provided by the Norwood ...hub today was incredible. It gave my daughter a sense of normalcy to be in an environment with other children and wonderful caregivers and gave me a few hours to catch up on some work and [handle the] logistics of getting us home to Israel.”
Another parent said: “We were extremely grateful that we were able to come to the Norwood hub today with our child. We enjoyed such warm hospitality and friendly faces in our time of need. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Also supporting working adults is employment and business charity Work Avenue, which is offering free workspaces in London and Manchester for Israelis currently stranded in the UK.
Debbie Lebrett, its CEO, said: “This is a very anxious time for all Israelis currently stuck in the UK, as they worry about friends and family and wait for details on how and when they can return home.
“We wanted to make sure that one thing they did not have to worry about was their job or business, so we’re offering free hot desks at our London and Manchester WE Hub Wohl Enterprise shared workspaces, providing a professional and supportive place to work within the community.”
An abundance of synagogues of all denominations have been offering help to Israelis who currently have no way home.
Following the closure of Israel’s airspace, a family from the US found themselves stranded in the UK on their way to Israel for their son’s bar mitzvah at the Kotel. St Albans Masorti Synagogue stepped in with a service led by its rabbi, Adam Zagoria-Moffet.
Progressive congregations have also been giving their support. Rabbi Neil Janes of South Bucks Jewish Community said: “Progressive Jewish communities are established across the whole country and uniquely placed to reach out to anyone seeking comfort, safety and hospitality. We stand symbolically with Jews all around the world, when we pray for peace, and we can stand literally with Israelis wherever we find them around the UK."
Rabbi Alex Goldberg of Guildford Synagogue has set up an emergency relief committee, urging his community members to contribute in any way they can, “whether offering a meal, a lift, pastoral help, or admin support”, and also encouraging those with the means to donate to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency service.
Rabbi Alex Goldberg of Guildford[Missing Credit]
A spokesperson for the United Synagogue described the heartening response that British Jewish communities had shown to Israelis in need. “I have lost track of the number of United Synagogue communities who have opened their doors to Israelis stranded in the UK.
“They have made meals, made beds, taken them shopping, helped them get on the internet and connected them with embassy advice. They have been welcomed to shul services and been invited to Shabbat meals.We are so proud of how our communities have responded to this crisis.”
More than 3,000 people joined the United Synagogue’s online event on Friday June 13 and last Thursday, the US organised an online event of prayer and song in support of Israel, which can still be found on YouTube.
The JW3 cultural centre, which, following the terrorist attacks on October 7, offered a crèche and family facilities to Israelis in the UK, is once again opening its doors to those who can’t get home.
In a message, which they circulated in both Hebrew and English, heads of the centre said they had “created a space... for Israelis to be in a safe, secure, home-from-home – to sit, be with other Israelis and British Jews, to work [if] they need [to], just be able to stay in touch with family back home.” JW3 provisions also include a kosher café.
Orit Eyal-Fibeesh, an Israeli living in Britain, spoke to the JC about the response from Israeli residents to fellow countrymen and women unexpectedly stuck in the UK.
She explained that it had been very similar to that which took place immediately after the trauma of October 7, when many organisations were created to work with Jewish communities in the UK and Israel, liaising between the two countries and providing aid to those affected by the tragedy.
Eyal-Fibeesh said these organisations had “re-emerged” since the escalation of fighting between Israel and Iran, but to a lesser extent.
Nonetheless, she said many Israeli families living permanently in the UK had offered free accommodation and mental health support to those suffering from acute anxiety due to the situation and that there were a number of doctors helping procure much-needed prescription medication for Israelis.
A founder of the 7/10 Human Chain Project, which has been advocating for the immediate release of all hostages taken by Hamas, Eyal-Fibeesh said: “What happened on October 7th has brought the British Jewish community and the Israeli Jewish community closer together”, bridging a divide between the two groups, born of cultural differences and language barriers, and laying the foundations for the shows of solidarity from British Jews in recent days.
She spoke very highly of the response of British Jews to the current crisis, saying that she felt “all boundaries have been dissolved” between British and Israeli Jews.
She told the JC that these times of uncertainty “united all Jews to become one community”, whether they were British or Israeli, or observant or secular.
